Posts Tagged ‘damage’

A Qassam rocket slammed directly into a private home in the Gaza Belt community of Sderot at around 3:30 pm Friday afternoon, just a few hours before the start of the Sabbath. It was the second home in Sderot to be hit by a rocket today. No one was physically injured in the attack.

This is the second home to be damaged in a Qassam rocket barrage from Gaza today (Friday, August 8, 2014). Miraculously, no one was home.

The Code Red rocket alert system allows residents of the communities in the Gaza Belt area – those in the Eshkol, Sdot Negev and Sha’ar HaNegev Regional Council districts – only a 15-second window within which to reach a safe space before rocket impact.

Less than half an hour after the house in Sderot was hit, a home in the coastal city of Ashkelon suffered the same fate.

As in Sderot, however, the terrorist rocket found no victims; the owners of the home were safe in a shelter and were not physically injured, although the building was damaged. Residents of Ashkelon have a window of 30 seconds within which to reach shelter before an attack.

A few hours earlier, the director of Sapir Academic College, Dr. Nachmi Paz, age 71, was wounded by shrapnel when a Qassam rocket exploded at the entrance to the community. A 20-year-old soldier also sustained shrapnel wounds in the same attack. Both running for shelter but weren’t quite fast enough when the rocket slammed into the ground nearby. Sapir College is located in an area on the outskirts of Sderot.

More than 50 rocketswere fired at Israel by Gaza terrorists in the past eight hours, since the 72-hour humanitarian cease fire ended at 8 am. Four Israelis were wounded.

Some Palestinian speaker detailing his view on negotiations over “Palestine,” and meanwhile offers a very good and reliable plan for Israel to deal with his kind. Just change the name to “Israel” and act accordingly, the situation would be resolved in under a day.

As a good friend of mine pit it, once you place yourself outside the law, you cannot continue to receive protection from the same law. This is a superb example of this axiom.

Last night, after someone in Lebanon shot four Katyusha rockets at Naharia, I expected a couple of IAF wings to get over to South Lebanon and return a large swath of land to the 12th century. Instead, we saw a proportionate response, an attack on some target south of Beirut which killed no one and didn’t even damage property.

We need to appoint this Palestinian man as our prime minister and follow whatever he says – except apply it to the enemy. Trust me, we will be immeasurably successful.

Oh – and watch the two Neturei Karta guys with the anti-Zionist sign. Do they recognize a pogrom in the making? I wonder.

Now, if that title doesn’t hit high on the spam charts, I don’t know what will…but stay with me.

Last week, a representative from a very large company came to our offices to discuss potential new business. As with most meetings in Israel, it was a blend of personal and professional. The contract was signed, but the discussions veered off into so many things that are Israel, including the army and the recent Operation Pillar of Defense.

I mentioned my blog and how Elie had been part of the call-up. He mentioned his brother – in the Military Police – being sent there and told me how he had never seen his mother so devastated, so paralyzed, so terrified, as during those days.

And then he told us what his brother was doing – basically guarding an entry point to the “closed military zone” where the fighting would take place…if the government had chosen to send in the ground forces. Elie told the man about his mad drive with the artillery vehicles. And the man told us two stories from his brother.

The first was of a young man who drove up and demanded entry. The representative’s brother explained that it was a closed area and he couldn’t let him in.

“I’m a pilot,” said the young driver rather arrogantly.

A bit sheepishly, the rep’s brother explained that he needed to see identification, which was quickly produced and the pilot was allowed to enter. The next day, a general showed up in full uniform driving a brand new, sparkling clean Mercedes. I can’t tell you what model, but it was enough to impress the young soldier. This time, without asking, the general pulled out papers to prove he should be allowed in, though I wonder if it even crossed the mind of the young soldier to deny the general in the first place. But deny him he did.

“You can’t go in there!” he told the general.

The general hesitated for a moment and then asked the soldier, “why NOT?”

“Your car,” said the young man. “It’s new. The mud. Look. You can’t,” he stumbled as he turned to point behind him to the tanks tearing up the wet, muddy ground.

And then the general did the most extraordinary thing. He laughed and told the soldier, “I have that car because of everything this country did for me. I’ll give it all back if I have to – including the car.”

With that, he got in the Mercedes – the brand new, sparkling Mercedes, and drove it into the thick mud, covering the tires and splattering the side within seconds.

All that we have, we have been given because we are here – our safety, our lives, our freedom, our blessings.

Many areas in the country received between 8-12 inches of rain, which occurs on average every 10-15 years. Rainfalls in the north have accumulated to 80%-95% of the total annual average, and an astonishing 180-230% of the average rainfall for this time of the year.

In central Israel, the rains have reached 70-85% of the yearly average and 150-200% of the average for this time of year.

Even in the Negev Desert, where up until recently the rainfall has been bellow average, the rains have reached 150% of the average for this period. A continuous rainfall period of 6-7 days is not common in the Negev, and over the last 50 years has been recorded only four other times, in 1965, 1969, 1992, and 1995.

The water level of Lake Kinneret continues to rise as a result of heavy precipitation (the Kinneret is Israel’s main source of water). The level rose by 35 inches in the past week, one of the sharpest recorded rises in such a short period of time. The Kinneret’s current level has already surpassed the highest level recorded last winter.

The Kinneret has risen a total of 57 inches since the beginning of the season, and is expected to rise at a rate of 1 inch per day until the end of the season.

Snow has accumulated throughout the Galilee and the Golan in the North, and in Jerusalem and its environs, and even in the northern Negev, during the second half of last week. Such a heavy snow fall occurs every few years, with the last big storm recorded in 2008. Other recent major storms have occurred in 2003, 2000 and 1998.

On Wednesday, Jan. 9, some 25,000 homes lost electricity, due to wreckage caused by extremely strong wind gusts blowing at 63 miles per hour in some places. In Jerusalem, the winds reached 69 miles per hour. The last record for Jerusalem stood at 60 miles per hour, in the year 2000.

Many homes in central Israel were flooded as a result of torrential rains. The Union of Local Authorities in Israel has estimated that the damage caused to the infrastructure by the storm stands at 1 billion NIS, or $267,387,000. The damage caused to the financial sector is estimated at 300 million NIS, or $80,216,100, half of which was lost due to the absence of workers who were unable to get to work because of flooded roads.

A child, who can’t swim, jumps into the deep end of the swimming pool. A man chokes on his food while eating in a restaurant. A friend goes into shock. A woman faints. All of these scenarios share common ground. They all include a victim who is lacking oxygen. People need to know what to do in these emergency situations.

Approximately 330,000 people die annually because they do not reach the emergency room in time. This number would decrease rapidly if the emergency room paramedics weren’t the only ones who know what to do. Recently, I was at a friend’s house. There was a platter of candy and gum near us, and her little sister was inhaling more of it than could fit in her mouth. She started choking. We all started screaming, but not really doing anything. We were five girls who had no clue what to do. Yet, just knowing a few simple steps can save a person from possible brain damage.

First off, if someone can talk or breathe, they aren’t choking. Have them continue to cough until their airway is clear. There are certain signs that can tell you if someone is choking. For example, if a baby is choking, his or her skin will change to a reddish color, and then turn blue. An adult’s neck might start to bulge, and his or her face will turn red and puffy. If you are qualified, and you see that someone is choking, start to employ CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). Place a fist below the victim’s ribcage and do thirty rapid compressions in less than eighteen seconds, but on a child or infant, remember to do the compressions in a more gentle manner.

There is a mnemonic device that can help you remember the steps to follow in an emergency situation: DR911ABCD.

D-DANGERS. Look around you and make sure that there are no dangerous objects near the victim, such as fire, glass, gas, or open wires. Assess the victim.

R-RESPONSIVENESS. Check to see if the victim is responsive. You can do this by inquiring as to whether he or she is okay and if you can help.

911- Call 911 and report your emergency.

A-AIRWAYS. Make sure that none of the victim’s airways are blocked.

B-BREATHING. Make sure the victim is breathing

C-CIRCULATION. If the victim is not breathing, start doing CPR. After four to six minutes without oxygen the heart will stop beating. Brain damage is certain after ten minutes, so time is of the essence.

D-DEFIBRILLATION. If the victim is not breathing, and the CPR has had no effect, use a defibrillator. An AED (automated external defibrillator) interprets heart rhythms. Two heart rhythms can mean cardiac arrest. Cardiac arrest is when the heart stops beating. Ventricular Fibrillation (VF), when the heart is shaking like jelly, and Ventricular Tachycardia (V-Tac), when the heart pumps 200-300+ a minute. Chances of survival decrease 7-10% for every minute waiting for defibrillation.

The DR911ABCD measures can be used for most emergencies, in addition to hypothermia (when the body temperature is 95 degrees or lower), and shock (when there is a lack of oxygen in body tissue).

This past summer, my two-year-old cousin was at the pool. As the whole area emptied, he ran back, alone. He slipped and fell in the deep end. He didn’t know how to swim, so he sank to the bottom. The lifeguard on duty didn’t see him. She finished up and started to walk out. Glancing down, she saw a blue form at the bottom of the pool. Instinctively, she dove in and pulled him out. Screaming for help, she started to do CPR. My cousin was brought to the hospital, and now, Baruch Hashem, he is fine. His parents have started a program called Project Moshe- Learn to Save a Life.

Do you want to be ignorant or knowledgeable? The information that you can acquire may be the very thing that saves someone. While you may convince yourself that this isn’t something you need, trust me, you do. It could be your mother, sister, cousin, or best friend. Don’t take the risk! Learn CPR, and learn how to save a life.

Recently, a porcelain bathtub appeared atop a jetty off Miami Beach. The gleaming white object was perched upon craggy rocks. Ocean waves lapped around it. The origin of the tub was a mystery.

Some members of the South Florida community have conjectured that the tub was some strange artistic expression, perhaps inspired by the internationally recognized Art Basel festival to be held shortly on Miami Beach.

While some art aficionados might consider this exhibit a bold and creative work, there are others who consider the exploit as trash. A spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission declared the action “littering” and a potential risk to the environment.

We are all greatly influenced by our preconceived ideas. We perceive. We interpret. We filter. What we see – as well as how we see it – is more than the reflection on our retina. We might have sight, but do we have insight?

The global reaction to Israel’s recent military incursion in Gaza has been quite compelling and a prime example of how bias affects facts. The mainstream media generally spun the actions as a “cycle of violence” and not as a victim nation responding to attack. After all, isn’t Israel always to blame?

An MSNBC anchor reflected that Israel was responding disproportionately. The anchor reported that Hamas missiles were largely “ineffective” and “rarely do damage” and inferred that innocent Arab civilians were being killed. Fox’s Juan Williams characterized Israel’s defense as overkill. Throughout the world, anti-Semitic rallies, thinly disguised as anti-Zionist in nature, exploded with a fury.

The worldwide Jewish community, for the most part, is just happy that the cease-fire was called and have moved on. There are Chanukah gifts to purchase and wrap, winter vacation plans to make and busy lives to contend with. The televised images of rocket explosions have passed.

Every morning Jews recite the prayer “Blessed are you Hashem, king of the universe, who gives sight to the blind.”

Certainly we need to truly see what is going on.

Trash is trash despite the spin. The Jewish world needs to open its eyes.

Homeowners must be alert to storm-chasing contractors who try to exploit the confusion after superstorm Sandy to make shoddy repairs or steal down payments, the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud warns.

Most contractors are honest, but shady contractors typically descend on disaster areas such as those inflicted by Sandy, whose total damages could reach $50 billion.

Storm chasers typically go door-to-door seeking business. They’re often from out of state, incompetent and unlicensed. They intend to cheat anxious homeowners who urgently need repairs after the storm. Local contractors also may be dishonest.

Homeowners could lose thousands of dollars to contractor scams. Shoddy repairs also can take months to correct, making it harder for homeowners to put their lives back together again.

Contractor inquiries have ranked No. 1 for five straight years by the Better Business Bureau. Contractor-related complaints were ranked 3rd by the Consumer Federation of America for 2011. Home-improvement contractors were the No. 1 source of consumer complaints in New Jersey last year, reveals the state Division of Consumer Affairs.

Five Scams to Avoid

Pre-pay. The contractor demands a large cash payment upfront, then disappears after doing little or no work. The contractor also may illicitly require you to pay for bids.

Shoddy work. The work is low quality, using cheap or substandard materials. Homeowners may have to redo the entire job, often at their expense.

Phantom damage. A contractor creates storm damage. Nicking undamaged sidewall or roof shingles with a screwdriver to mimic hail damage is one come-on.

Inflated damage. Contractors may enlarge holes in a roof to increase their billings. Simply inflating the bill to include more work than was done is another ruse.

Pay your deductible. Offering to pay your insurance deductible to get your business typically is a come-on to lure you into fraudulent work.

Six Ways to Prevent Fraud

Avoid door-to-door contractors. These usually are the storm chasers who canvass damaged neighborhoods for repair jobs. All too often these contractors have fraudulent repairs in mind.

Verify license. Contact your state and local licensing agencies to ensure the contractor is licensed.

Work with your insurance company. Contact your insurer right away to help screen out scam artists. Work closely with your insurer throughout the claim process to assess the damage, determine what repairs are covered, and the cost. Get the right repairs done, and done right.

Watch for red flags. No business cards or referrals…P.O. Box instead of a street address…van looks rundown and has no company name…poor personal appearance…can’t show proof of workers compensation insurance or surety/performance bond.

Insist on a contract. Have a signed contract specifying exactly what work will be done, plus the price and repair schedule. Never sign a contract with blanks.

Contact local Better Business Bureau. Does the contractor have a history of complaints? See if the contractor has a BBB review.